Reamer



H. R. HUGHES.

REAMER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. 191s.

1,399,863, Patented m13, 1921.

HOWARD R. Hucmlwwmtoz 3543 HIS f atto/mw 854i arent ortica.

HOW R. HUGHES, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 13. 192i.

Application ledApril 23, 1918. Serial No. 230,258.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, HOWARD R. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residingat Houston, Harris county, Texas, have mvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Beamers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to reamers for use in enlarging drill holes or wells or for assisting in maintaining the gage of holes dug by rotary boring drills.

ln the process of drilling wells it is frcquently necessary to enlarge a hole already dug so as to accommodate a larger size of casing and of drilling apparatus. rlhis is done by the use of an enlarging reamcr introduced into the hole. rThis reamer follows down the hole dug by the drill and has cutters mounted in the side thereof which act to cut away the material on the side of the hole. My invention is intended to serve the function described..

it is also contemplated that it may be adapted for use in direct connection with a rotary drill and serve to either enlarge the hole behind the bit or to maintain the size of the bore hole when the cutters of the bit become worn and lose their gage.

Ein object of my invention is to form the cutters on my device in a novel form and to place them in a position most advantageous for the reaming Operation.

Another object is to construct my reamer in such manner that it may operate either alone or in conjunction with a drill bit attached thereto.

@ther objects and advantages will more clearly appear in the description which follows.

Referring to drawings where like characters 0f reference refer to like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a longitudinal side`view, partly in section, of my device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof and Fig. 3 is a side view taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1.

My improved reamer is made up of a cylindrical body 1 reduced in diameter at its upper end and threaded as at 2 for attachment to the drill collar. lt is flattened on two sides shown at 4 t0 provide space for the escape of flushing water projected downwardly through the device in the usual manner.

l The lower end is reduced in diameter and threaded at 3 for attachment to a drill bit, not shown.

Mounted in inclined slots 16, on opposite sides of the head 1, are two disk shaped cutters 5. These cutters are mounted rotatably upon a shaft or pin 6 inserted within the cylindrical recess 17 inclined downwardly toward the central axis of the head.

These pins are reduced in diameter at the inner end and threaded, as at 7, for the purpose of securing the shaft within the head. The cutters are provided with a bushing 10 and outer and inner washers 9 in the usual manner for the purpose of taking up the wear incident to the rotation of the cutter. These bearings areluloricated by means of an ordinary lubricator attached to a threaded nipple 11 at the upper end of the head. A downwardly extending duct 12 is connected with the lubricator and passes downwardly at a sli lit angle as shown particularly in Fig. 3. his angularpath of the lubricating duct is taken in` order to avoid the narrow passage between the upper parts of the two cutters shown particularly in Fig. 1. rl`he duct terminates in a horizontal channelV 13 which communicates with smaller ducts leading through the end of the bearing pin 6 and through laterally directed channels therein to the bushings.

Channels for the flushing water are provided which are intended to supply the cutters 5 and also to supply water through the lower reduced portion 3 to the rotary drill which may loe attached thereto. These channels 141 are two in number, one on each side of the head, preferably toward the flattened portion as shown in Fig. 2. rThese channels lead directly downward to the point adjacent to the upper part of the cutters and then take an inclined path leading to the lower end of the threaded portion 3. Branching oli' from the main channel 14, at the point where the bend in the channel occurs, is a smaller channel leading to the slot 16 and at a position slightly to the rear of the cutter as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

lWhen my reamer is used for the purpose of enlarging a bore hole or a well a threaded cap may be screwed upon the lower end 3 for the purpose of protecting the threads thereon. The reamer is then inserted into the well and rotated by means of the usual rotary drill stem. The inclined cutters 5, which are toothed on the outer peripheryas shown at 8, come in contact with the side ci" the hole and during the rotation ci the head to cut away the material at the side thereof. lt will he noted the lower Qal ` edge oi the outer periphery'will come in contact with the side et te hole at a point lower than the upper portion and that the hole is progressively widened by the contact ot the cutter therewith.

`When the reamer is intended tor use in direct connection 'with a rotary drill hita the upper part ot the hit is connected directly with the lower threaded portion of my device by means ci the usual drill collar. The rotary drill may be of a diametera at its lowest cutting point, exactly equal ot' the diameter oit the hole cut by the reamer and, when this is the case, the reaming cutters 5 act only to maintain the gage of the hole in case the cutters on the drill bit become so worn as to otherwise decrease the diameter ot the hole.

The drill bit used in connection with .my reamer may, however, be of a diameter somewhat smaller than the reame-r and in such case the reaming cutters actin the same manner that they do when used alone; that is they will serve to continuously cut away the material at the side of the hole and enlarge the diameter of the hole to the gage contemplated by my reamer itself.

By forming the cutters in the disk shape shown and placing them in the side of the head at the angle indicated an especially eicient action of the reaining cutters is obtained. rTthisis due particularly. to the comparatively large diameter of each of the reaming cutters. A comparatively small portion of the periphery ot each of the cutters will come in contact with the side of the hole at the same time thus providing a large cutting circumference for the cutter which will not quickly become Vdulled in action. lt will also be noted that by the inclination of the cutters on their aXes in the manner shown, the cutters are presented in an especially eicient manner for the cutting operation. The thrust inwardly upon the bearing is practically at right angles to the bearing and the top of the disk is in clined inwardly toward the center of the track cut by the reamers. It is well known that in order to maintain the proper inclination of a wheel or other rolling disk shaped object which is being operated upon outwardly upon the periphery thereof in a line at "ht angles to the cutter shaft 6.

rotation my device by means or" the rotary drill stem is in the usual clockwise direction and by such rotation. 'the cutters each intheir roliing course about the circumference of the hole are given a counterclockwise motion. Thus the tlushing water is projected through the channel l5 upon the rearward side ot the cutter and serves to flush away the disintegrated material which may be entering the slot 16 with` the upwardly moving teeth 8 of the cutter. This serves to keep the teeth of the cutter clean and to prevent the clogging of the material in the slot or housing` 16.

lt will thus be seen that l have provided a device for the purpose intended which is especially etlicient in the cutting operation and in which the thrust ot the cutting operation is taken up by the bearing in such manner that the strain will come directly at right angles to the shaft upon which the cutter is mounted. 'llhis produces added strength and eticiency.

Having thus described my device what ll claim as vnew and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. An enlarging reamerA for maintaining the gage oit the hole comprising a head, threaded at one end for attachment to a drill stein and threaded at vthe other end for attachment to the drill, and disk-shaped reaming cuttershoused in slots in the sides of said head and inclined outwardly and downwardly.

2. ln a device of thecharacter described, a head comprising a solid, dattened cylindrical casting threaded at the upper and lower ends, two flat disk shaped cutters mounted oppbsite each other in the rounded sides of said head, on bearings inclined upwardly from the longitudinal axis of the head and water channels in said head to conduct water to said cutters.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature this the 20th day of A ril 1918.

nowAen n. Udnns. 

